Bad Ne@courant.com

June 11, 2006

A Closer Look At Dodd

Colin McEnroe's psychoanalysis of the Christopher Dodd / Joseph Lieberman situation [``The Bridesmaid Of Dracula,'' May 28] was amusing, especially, if one is not enamored of Sen. Lieberman. But I wish McEnroe had explained what makes Sen. Dodd a progressive these days, other than coming from a Northeast state.

Dodd has told us that he wants the Democratic party to be the ``big tent'' party, one that can accommodate all views. Specifically this means that the party would be for the war and against the war simultaneously. Whereas Sen. John Kerry thought Democrats would be elected by accommodating all views sequentially, by flip-flopping, Dodd thinks they don't even need to bother to flip-flop -- just be everything to all people all the time.

Poor progressive, or any other kind of Democrats, if the people who want to represent them lack the courage to offer anything beyond a meaningless big tent.

Nina Sakun, Hartford

Recruiters Besmirched

Andy Dousis plays God or, at least, Social Engineer by advocating what segment(s) of the population should die in a war [``Q,'' June 4].

Perhaps he wants some rich people to die in Hartford street crime or some poor people to die in mountain-climbing incidents. Since we don't have a draft, service in the military is a matter of personal choice. He and I chose to serve; others did not. A plumber risks skinned knuckles, a bad back and long work hours for a financial payoff exceeding many salaries, including mine.

It's no secret that lower-income kids may embrace the risks and opportunities of service in the military more than their well-to-do counterparts, just like being a plumber or an auto mechanic. Most emerge as leaders and achievers, like WWII's ``Greatest Generation.'' It's the goal of any job counselor to match up a student with career choices reflecting the child's interests and strengths. College kids will be under-represented by choice, not because of a conspiracy of the recruiters. Andy Dousis bad-mouths the recruiters with scurrilous accusations, the same recruiters who gave him an opportunity in his youth.